1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content playback method and a content playback apparatus, and in particular, relates to an improvement of the skip processing that moves the playback position by a prescribed time interval.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video recorder and video player have fast forward and fast reverse functions as trick-play functions for playing back content with jumping unnecessary portions of the contents. Furthermore, there are also a “forward skip” function that moves the playback position in the playback direction by a prescribed time interval, and a “reverse skip” function that moves the playback position in a direction opposite to that of the playback direction by a prescribed time interval.
The skip functions are used when, for example, the user wishes to play back content with jumping a commercial message (CM) portion. Specifically, in the case in which the user plays back content after jumping past a CM portion, the user operates a skip button and advances the playback position of the content by a prescribed time interval when a playback position reaches a portion for a CM. Here, if this CM portion is followed by another CM portion, the user operates the skip button and again repeats the operation in which the playback position of the content advances by a prescribed time interval. In addition, when the boundary between the end of the CM and the start position of a program has been passed, the user carries out a skip operation in the opposite direction. By repeating such an operation, the portion having the CM is jumped past to reach the playback position of a program.
In addition, a function is also provided that detects any scene change points in the content being played back, and places the playback position to a detected scene change point. Additionally, various types of arrangement that combine the fast forward and rewind functions, the skip functions, and the scene change point detection function have been proposed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-066407 discloses that when the user carries out a skip operation, in the case in which a recording and playback apparatus detects that a scene change point is present during a fixed time interval, the playback is carried out from the nearest change point.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-293680 discloses that when playback is carried out, after a user has performed a fast forward operation, playback is carried out after the playback start position has been moved from the playback start position to the closest scene change point.
However, because the movement interval of the playback position during a skip operation is fixed, when detecting a desired playback position by using the forward skip operation or the reverse skip operation, frequently the user passes ahead of the desired playback position or returns past the desired playback position. Thus, as described above, when content is replayed after jumping past a CM, the replay position of the boundary between the end of the CM and the starting position of the program cannot be easily reached.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-066407, the desired playback position can be reached by automatically moving to a scene change point when a skip operation is carried out. However, there are cases in which the playback position is moved to a position that differs from the position intended by the user.
For example, in the case in which the skip interval is 30 seconds, normally it is sufficient for the user to carry out the skip operation four times in order to skip two minutes ahead. However, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-066407, even if a position two minutes ahead is reached, when there is a scene change point before this, the playback position will skip to the position of this scene change point. Thus, the necessary number of operations for moving to the desired playback position increases. In addition, in the invention that is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-066407, when there is a scene change point, the skip interval is not fixed. Because skip is a function that moves the playback position by a fixed time interval, when the movement interval of the playback position due to a skip operation is not fixed, the playback position becomes difficult for the user to recognize.